Apparatus for printing wide bandgap semiconductor materials

ABSTRACT

A method for printing a semiconductor material includes depositing a molten metal onto a substrate in an enclosed chamber to form a trace having a maximum height of 15 micrometers and/or a maximum width of 25 micrometers to 10 millimeters and/or a thin film having a maximum height of 15 micrometers. The method further includes reacting the molten metal with a gas phase species in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material. The depositing the molten metal includes depositing a metal composition including the molten metal and an etchant or depositing the etchant separate from the molten metal in the enclosed chamber.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of prior-filed, co-pending U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 17/338,997 filed on Jun. 4, 2021, which is a continuation-in-part of prior-filed, co-pending U.S. Nonprovisional application Ser. No. 16/554,975 filed on Aug. 29, 2019, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,056,338 on Jul. 6, 2021, and which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 62/743,869 filed on Oct. 10, 2018, and 62/866,674 filed on Jun. 26, 2019, both now expired. The contents of these related applications are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST

This invention was made with Government support under grant number 2042256 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The Government has certain rights in this invention.

BACKGROUND

Wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors are very attractive for use in high-power, high-temperature, and/or radiation resistant electronics. One reason GaN semiconductors are so attractive is that they possess a band gap of a direct transition type of energy corresponding to the ultraviolet light region and can be combined with other group 13-nitride materials as ternary or quaternary compound semiconductors to expand the bandgap energy range to include the entirety of the visible light spectrum into the deep ultraviolet spectrum while permitting highly efficient light emission. One method of preparing GaN semiconductors is by growing relatively thick layers using hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE). In this process, growth proceeds due to the high-temperature vapor-phase reaction between gallium mono-chloride (GaCl) and ammonia. The ammonia is supplied from a standard gas source, while the GaCl is produced by passing hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas over a liquid gallium supply. Using this method, GaN can be grown relatively quickly and inexpensively. Another method of producing GaN semiconductors is by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). In this technique, ammonia gas (NH₃) is reacted with a metallo-organic compound containing gallium. The reaction occurs at high temperatures in the vicinity of a substrate, and GaN is deposited epitaxially on the substrate. This technique is disadvantageously both slow and expensive.

These techniques result in the formation of confluent GaN semiconductor layers on the substrate that require complicated pre-masking of the surface or etching steps to form localized areas of the GaN semiconductor in the substrate, which further decreases throughput and increases cost associated with fabricated devices. Accordingly, a need exists for a method of directly forming a localized GaN semiconductor on a substrate with a single process. Such a method would facilitate the development of high power, reliable GaN optoelectronic and electronic devices with reduced cost and higher throughput over existing means.

BRIEF SUMMARY

In an example, non-limiting embodiment, a method for printing a semiconductor material includes depositing a molten metal onto a substrate in an enclosed chamber to form a trace having a maximum height of 15 micrometers and/or a maximum width of 25 micrometers to 10 millimeters and/or a thin film having a maximum height of 15 micrometers. The method further includes reacting the molten metal with a gas phase species in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material. The depositing the molten metal includes depositing a metal composition including the molten metal and an etchant or depositing the etchant separate from the molten metal in the enclosed chamber.

In another example, non-limiting embodiment, an apparatus includes an enclosed chamber, and an injection orifice that traverses a top flange of the enclosed chamber through a gastight seal. The injection orifice is in fluid communication with a molten metal source. The apparatus further includes a moveable seal that connects sidewalls of the enclosed chamber to the top flange and allows relative movement therebetween, a heated stage capable of heating a substrate to a temperature of at least 900° C., a translation control unit capable of translating the injection orifice and/or a motor control unit capable of translating the heated stage, and a containment chamber. The enclosed chamber and the translation control unit and/or the motor control unit are located in the containment chamber. The apparatus further includes a gas stream inlet and a gas stream outlet.

The above described and other features are exemplified by the following figures, detailed description, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures are non-limiting, exemplary embodiments, wherein the like elements are numbered alike. Some of the figures are illustrative of the examples, which are not intended to limit devices made in accordance with the disclosure to the materials, conditions, or process parameters set forth herein.

FIG. 1A is an illustration of an aspect of an enclosed chamber 2;

FIG. 1B is an illustration of an aspect of an enclosed chamber 2;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an aspect of depositing a molten metal 13 on a substrate 4;

FIG. 3 is a graphical illustration of the average growth velocity with initial melt thickness of Example 1;

FIG. 4 is a graphical illustration of the x-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum of Example 2;

FIG. 5 is a graphical illustration of the XRD spectrum of Example 3;

FIG. 6 is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of a cross-section of the trace of Example 3;

FIG. 7 is an SEM image of a cross-section of an area proximal to the trace of Example 3;

FIG. 8 is a graphical illustration of the XRD spectrum showing single crystal nature of material in Example 3; and

FIG. 9 is a graphical illustration of the XRD spectrum showing single crystal nature of material in Example 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Current semiconductor device architectures are limited to what is achievable using standard semiconductor device fabrication methods, which are usually a combination of thin film deposition, etching, regrowth, and other processing steps to develop a final device. Process and material limitations on material quality, process speed, dimensional accuracy, and achievable geometries restrict the development of new device architectures. With the advent of additive manufacturing, many materials and applications have benefited from the ability to three dimensional (3D) print complex structures. Layer by layer printing processes allow rapid production of complex geometries enabling significant capability improvements across multiple domains. To date, however, the research of additively manufactured semiconductors has been minimal.

The lack of compound semiconductor additive manufacturing research stems in large part from the difficulty of adapting common additive manufacturing methods to electronic materials. Most semiconductor devices require a single-crystal material with low defect densities in order to maintain the electrical properties necessary for device operation. The presence of grain boundaries act as carrier scattering sites that can limit the capabilities of any fabricated devices. Typical additive manufacturing processes involve localized melting, severe plastic strain, consolidation of randomly oriented particles, or chemical crosslinking, all of which tend to generate polycrystalline structures. Being able to additively build semiconductor structures though could reduce the cost associated with more complex device structures that can only be formed through multiple etch and growth steps using current processes. This benefit is of particular interest for wide bandgap semiconductor materials such as GaN as GaN is a material widely used in optoelectronic, high-power, and high-frequency device applications due to its wide [3.4 electron Volt (eV)] direct bandgap.

A method for printing a semiconductor material, referred to herein as gas-phase reactive additive manufacturing (GRAM), was developed that comprises depositing a molten metal onto a substrate in an enclosed chamber; and reacting the molten metal with a gas phase species in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material. In other words, the gas-phase reactive additive manufacturing method can comprise printing a molten semiconductor precursor onto a substrate and reacting the precursor with a gas phase reactant at elevated temperatures to form the semiconductor material. Such a reaction-based process can be preferred over using a semiconductor feedstock (such as GaN) to provide an improved synthesis route with lower temperatures, better compositional control, or improved epitaxial growth. It is noted that this method can produce any semiconductor material that can be formed by the reaction of a gas phase species and a molten metal. For example, the method can manufacture a silicon nitride layer, a silicon arsenide layer, a Group 13 metal phosphide or arsenide layer, a gallium arsenide layer, or the like.

The gas-phase reactive additive manufacturing method has several additional benefits over methods such as hydride vapor phase epitaxy or metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. For example, the present method can impart controlled, localized printing of the molten metal, which can result in the formation of complex vertical device architectures and a lower dislocation density material. The present method can allow for the bottom-up printing of semiconductor materials that can eliminate various etching and regrowth steps that can be extremely time intensive. The present method can exhibit higher crystallization rates as compared to liquid phase epitaxy due to a lesser diffusion length needed for the gas phase species to travel through the molten metal and react at the substrate surface to form an epitaxial film. The present method can result in the formation of a single crystal semiconductor, which is not easily obtainable.

FIG. 1A is an illustration of an example of an apparatus comprising an enclosed chamber 2. The enclosed chamber 2 can include an observation window so that a viewer can observe the trace formation. One or more of the temperature or the pressure in the enclosed chamber can be monitored or controlled. Monitoring one or both of these parameters can improve the reaction conditions thereby improving, for example, the consistency of the resultant semiconductor material along the print direction or the consistency of the height or width of the trace.

The enclosed chamber 2 can be a cooling chamber, for example, a water cooled stainless steel chamber or a double walled, water cooled chamber. The cooling chamber can actively cool one or more walls of the cooling chamber. Such cooling can reduce or prevent reaction of the materials on the sidewalls of the chamber. The cooling can also protect the respective seals and o-rings from the harsh internal conditions.

The internal temperature of the enclosed chamber 2 can be greater than 900° C., or 900 to 1,200° C. The temperature can be controlled by at least one of the stage 6 that can be a heated stage, a heat exchanger, a resistive heater, or an inductive heater located in the enclosed chamber 2. Maintaining the ambient in the enclosed chamber 2 at the internal temperature can facilitate printing of the molten metal by maintaining its flowability through the injection orifice 8 onto the substrate 4. Use of a heated stage that is capable of heating the substrate 4 to the internal temperature can be effective in controlling the reaction kinetics, which can improve the consistency of the trace and the resultant semiconductor material.

The enclosed chamber 2 can be a pressure controlled chamber that can allow for better control of the reaction rate. The pressure in the enclosed chamber 2 can be controlled by controlling the flow rate of the gas into the enclosed chamber 2 (for example, one or both of the inert gas stream 12 or the gas phase nitrogen species stream 10) and the flow rate of the gas stream (for example, the purge gas stream 14) out of the enclosed chamber 2. Controlling these flow rates can be used to control the reaction kinetics by controlling the amount of the gas phase species available to react with the molten metal. Keeping this amount consistent throughout the printing can help to ensure that the reaction is uniform throughout the printing of the trace along the substrate 4, which can ultimately be used to improve the overall consistency of the resultant semiconductor material. The pressure can be monitored through one or more valves located on the respective streams. For example, at least one of a purge gas stream 14 that is in fluid communication with a gas stream outlet can include an outlet valve 50, an inert gas stream that is in fluid communication with an inert stream inlet can include an inert gas valve 52, or a gas phase nitrogen species stream 10 that is in fluid communication with a gas phase nitrogen species inlet can include a nitrogen gas valve 54.

A showerhead or gas spreader can be located on one or more of the gas inlets. The inlet of the gas phase nitrogen species stream 10 can be located proximal to the injection orifice 8 to minimize the distance of gas phase species has to travel to contact the trace. The gas stream inlet can be located within 5 cm, or 0.5 to 2 cm of an outlet of the injection orifice 8. It is noted that while only one injection orifice 8 is illustrated, it is understood that more than one injection orifice 8 can be present. For example, the injection orifice 8 can be split into two or more streams to provide multiple print locations onto the substrate 4 or two or more injection orifices with separate molten metal streams can be present to provide multiple print locations onto the substrate 4. Likewise, the gas phase nitrogen species stream 10 can be split or multiple separate gas phase nitrogen species streams 10 can be present to provide injection of the gas phase nitrogen species stream 10 proximal to deposition location of the molten metal.

FIG. 1A illustrates that a gas phase species stream 10 comprising a gas phase species can allow the gas phase species to flow into the enclosed chamber 2. Likewise, an inert gas stream 12 comprising an inert gas can allow the inert gas to flow into the enclosed chamber 2. It is noted that while the gas phase species stream 10 and the inert gas stream 12 are illustrated as different streams, they could conversely be introduced as a single stream. A purge gas stream 14 can be present to allow for gas to be removed from the enclosed chamber 2 through an outlet or vacuum line.

A substrate 4 can be located on a stage 6 that can optionally be a heated stage 6. The stage 6 can have 1 or more directions of control, or 1 to 6 directions of control, or 1 to 3 directions of control. For example, the stage 6 can have at least 1 direction of control allowing it to move in the z-direction such that it can raise and lower the stage 6 towards an injection orifice 8 via a motor control unit 16. The injection orifice 8 can have 1 or more directions of control, or 1 to 6 directions of control, or 1 to 3 directions of control. For example, the injection orifice 8 can have at least 2 directions of control in the x- and y-directions via a translation control unit 18.

The injection orifice 8 can be in fluid communication with a molten metal source. The molten metal source can be a heated container located in the containment chamber 20 or outside of the containment chamber 20. The injection orifice 8 can be any of a number of existing deposition mechanisms that can allow for the controlled deposition (for example, controlling at least one of the volume deposited or the deposition rate) of the molten metal. For example, the injection orifice 8 can comprise an opening to deposit a trace (for example, a line, a spot, or the like) of the molten metal on the substrate 4. The injection orifice 8 comprise stainless steel or fused silica. The inner diameter of the injection orifice 8 can be dictated by the components of the molten metal, the length of the injection orifice 8, the temperature in the enclosed chamber 2, and the pressure in the enclosed chamber 2, but in general should be chosen so that the inner diameter is small enough to prevent leakage of the molten metal when deposition is not desired, but not so small that flow is prohibited. The inner diameter of the injection orifice 8 can be 1 to 1,000 micrometers, or 1 to 500 micrometers.

The injection orifice 8 can be capable of forming a confluent trace (such as a line) of the molten metal onto the substrate 4. The injection orifice 8 can be capable of ink jetting the molten metal onto the substrate 4 by printing a series of droplets onto the substrate 4. The injection orifice 8 can be capable of aerosol jetting the molten metal or a nanoparticle suspension of the metal onto the substrate 4. Along with extrusion based deposition, the injection orifice 8 can compatible with jetting deposition heads such as aerosol, inkjet, or electrohydrodynamic depositions.

Conversely, the method of depositing the molten metal 13 can comprise depositing a thin film of the molten metal. The depositing of the thin film is not limited and can be performed, for example, by flow coating, spray coating, or the like.

FIG. 1B is an illustration of an apparatus comprising an enclosed chamber 2 located within a containment chamber 20. The containment chamber 20 can be a sealed chamber capable of containing any gas that may escape from the enclosed chamber 2 in the event of a breach of the seals in the enclosed chamber 2. This containment chamber 20 can increase the degree of safety of the apparatus, providing an additional barrier between a user and the potentially hazardous gases used to form the semiconductor material.

FIG. 1B illustrates that the injection orifice 8 can traverse the enclosed chamber 2 through a gastight seal 44 (such as an o-ring sealed fitting) located on a top flange 42. A moveable seal 40 can connect the top flange 42 to the sidewalls of the enclosed chamber 2. The moveable seal 40 can allow for large motor movement within the enclosed chamber 2 while maintaining a gas-tight seal. Such a moveable seal 40 is unique to the present apparatus and is generally not present in typical additive manufacturing devices as typical additive manufacturing devices often require much larger movements than those that can be accommodated by such a seal while maintaining a controlled ambient and vacuum. Instead, the present apparatus, utilizing the moveable seal 40, can beneficially allow for deposition of the molten metal in a controlled ambient and vacuum pressure. Non-limiting examples of moveable seals 40 include bellow seals or ferrofluidic seals. A bellows seal can have a set height, Z, with controllable movement in the XY direction. A ferrofluidic seal can include parallel plates with a ferrofluid located in between the respective plates that are held in place by a magnetic field, but allowing for movement of the parallel plates with respect to one another.

FIG. 1B illustrates that the translation control unit 18 and the motor control unit 16 can be located external to the enclosed chamber 2, but internal to the containment chamber 20. This arrangement has the benefit of protecting the translation control unit 18 and the motor control unit 16 from the interior chamber ambient and its caustic and high temperature environment.

Although not illustrated, the apparatus can include a controller that can monitor and control one or more of the pressure in the enclosed chamber 2, the temperature in the enclosed chamber 2, the respective gas flow rates, the discharge rate of the molten metal, the temperature of the molten metal, the temperature of the stage 6, and the relative movement of the injection orifice and the substrate. The controller can use one or more feedback loops or feedforward loops to control one or more desired variables. Such control over variables such as the respective gas flow rates and of the temperature and pressure in the enclosed chamber 2 is not generally considered in typical additive manufacturing processes as they are generally not as critical to such processes. In contrast, control over one or more of these variables in the present manufacturing process can provide a more controlled formation of the semiconductor material.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an aspect of the method of forming the semiconductor material 23 in the enclosed chamber 2. The top image in FIG. 2 shows that an amount of a molten metal 13 can be deposited onto the substrate 4 via the injection orifice 8. During the depositing, at least one of the injection orifice 8 or the substrate 4 can be translated in at least an x-y plane to form a trace of the molten metal 13 on the substrate 4. The trace can have a maximum height of 15 micrometers, or 1 to 12 micrometers. The trace can have a maximum width of 25 micrometers to 10 millimeters, or 100 micrometers to 2 millimeters. The trace can be in the form of at least one of a line, a spot, or the like. If the molten metal 13 is deposited to form a thin film, then the thin film can have a maximum height of 15 micrometers, or 1 to 12 micrometers.

FIG. 2A illustrates that the enclosed chamber 2 can include gas phase nitrogen (illustrated as NH₃) from the gas phase species stream 10 during the depositing. In this scenario, the gas phase nitrogen can start to diffuse into the molten metal 13. The bottom left image in FIG. 2 illustrates that the reaction between the gas phase nitrogen and the molten metal 13 can proceed to form a semiconductor material 23 on the substrate 4.

The bottom images of FIG. 2 illustrate that the method for printing the semiconductor material 23 can comprise depositing a second molten metal 113 onto the semiconductor material 23 (bottom right image) and allowing the second molten metal 13 to react with the gas phase species in the enclosed chamber 2 to form the semiconductor material 23 having an increased height in the z-direction (bottom right image). This additive method of forming 3D semiconductor material 23 with increased, and optionally with varying heights in different locations along the trace or thin film, can result in a significant increase in the design flexibility.

The substrate 4 can be an atomically symmetric substrate 4. The substrate 4 can be any substrate suitable for growth of an epitaxial layer, for example, aluminum gallium nitride, aluminum nitride, aluminum indium gallium nitride, aluminum oxide (for example, sapphire), gallium arsenide, gallium indium nitride, gallium nitride, lithium aluminate, lithium gallate, magnesium oxide, silicon, silicon carbide, zinc oxide, diamond, quartz, or spinel. The substrate 4 can be a sapphire substrate or a silicon substrate. The substrate 4 can be a composite substrate. For example, a composite substrate can also be formed by providing a mono-crystalline silicon substrate and then growing one or more buffer layers of different crystalline films having intermediate lattice constants to crystalline film that is ultimately desired, such as for example a sapphire (Al₂O₃) crystalline film. The composite substrate can comprise a buffer layer, for example, at least one of a gallium nitride layer deposited by conventional methods, a ZnO layer, an LiAlO₂ layer, or an SiC layer. The substrate 4 can be patterned, for example, having raised portions.

The molten metal 13 can comprise at least one of a molten, Group 13 metal 13 or a molten silicon 13. The molten, Group 13 metal 13 can comprise at least one of gallium, aluminum, or indium. The molten, Group 13 metal 13 can consist essentially of gallium, or can consist of only gallium. The molten, Group 13 metal 13 can comprise aluminum and gallium, or consist essentially of aluminum and gallium or can consist of aluminum and gallium alone, and can result in a semiconductor material 23 as a ternary compound, such as AlGaN with an even wider bandgap tailored to specific applications, making it an important base material for high-power devices.

The molten metal can comprise depositing a metal composition comprising the molten metal and an etchant or an etchant separate from the molten metal can be deposited in the enclosed chamber. The molten composition can comprise up to 60 volume percent (vol %), or 1 to 50 vol % of the etchant based on the total volume of the molten composition. The etchant can comprise an oxide etchant (for example, NH₄OH or an aqueous NH₄OH solution) that can remove native oxide on the molten metal. The etchant can be in an aqueous form comprising 1 to 10 wt %, or 1 to 5 wt %, or 1 to 2 wt % of the etchant based on the total weight of the aqueous solution. The molten metal can comprise a mixture with aqueous etchant with suitable excess etchant to ensure full coverage of the molten metal 13 in the molten metal 13 reservoir. Conversely, the etchant can be deposited via a secondary injection orifice within the enclosed chamber 2.

The gas phase species stream 10 can be introduced at any time before, during, or after depositing the molten metal 13 on the substrate 4. The inert gas stream 12 and the gas phase species stream 10 can be introduced at the same or at different times. For example, the substrate 4 can be placed in a chamber and the chamber can be sealed to result in the enclosed chamber 2. The inert gas stream 12 can then be introduced to the enclosed chamber 2 and the molten metal 13 can be deposited in an inert environment on the substrate 4. During the depositing or after the molten metal 13 is deposited, the gas phase species stream 10 can be introduced to the enclosed chamber 2.

The gas phase species stream 10 comprises a reactive gas species that is capable of diffusing into the molten metal 13 and reacting therewith to form the semiconductor material 23. The gas phase species stream 10 can comprise at least one of a gas phase nitrogen species or a gas phase arsenic species. The gas phase nitrogen species can comprise at least one of ammonia (NH₃), hydrazine (N₂H₄), diimide (N₂H₂), or hydrazoic acid (HN₃). The gas phase nitrogen species can comprise NH₃. The enclosed chamber 2 can further comprise an inert gas, for example, introduced in inert gas stream 12. The inert gas can comprise at least one of hydrogen, argon, helium, or nitrogen. A volume ratio of the inert gas to the gas phase species can be 1.25 to 50, or 10 to 40. In order to reduce the formation of an oxide, the enclosed chamber 2 can comprise less than or equal to 1,000 parts per million (ppm), or 0 to 100 ppm by volume of oxygen.

During the depositing, a temperature of the molten metal 13 can be greater than or equal to 30 degrees Celsius (° C.), or 30 to 50° C. After the molten metal 13 is deposited, a temperature in the enclosed chamber 2 can be increased to a reaction temperature. The reaction temperature can be greater than or equal to 600° C., or 1,000 to 1,500° C., or 1,000 to 1,200° C. A pressure in the enclosed chamber 2 can be greater than or equal to 60 Torr, or 60 to 760 Torr, or 1 to 760 Torr, or 50 to 600 Torr.

The gas phase species reacts with the molten metal 13 at the reaction temperature to form the semiconductor material 23. A crystallization rate of the molten metal 13 to form the semiconductor material 23 can be 0.035 to 3 micrometers per minute, or 0.035 to 0.3 micrometers per minute. The semiconductor material 23 can be a single crystal.

A p-type or n-type semiconductor material can be formed using the gas-phase reactive additive manufacturing method. The p-type semiconductor material can comprise a p-type dopant, for example, at least one of Mg, Be, Ca, Sr, or a Group 1 or 2 element having 1 or 2 valence electrons. The n-type semiconductor material can comprise an n-type dopant, for example, at least one of a Group 14 (for example, Si, Ge, Sn, or Pb), Group 15, or Group 16 element of the Periodic Table. The respective doped semiconductor materials can be formed by at least one of adding a dopant to the molten metal 13 and printing the doped metal or introducing a gas phase dopant to the enclosed chamber 2 or a combination of introducing the dopant to the molten metal 13 and introducing the gas phase dopant to the enclosed chamber 2. The gas phase dopant (for example, dicyclopentadienyl magnesium) can permeate the molten metal 13 to result in a p-type or n-type semiconductor material.

Using the gas-phase reactive additive manufacturing method, a multilayer semiconductor material 23 can be formed. For example, a p-type semiconductor layer can be formed, an undoped semiconductor layer can be formed on the p-type semiconductor layer, and an n-type semiconductor layer can be formed on the undoped semiconductor layer.

An article can comprise the semiconductor material 23 formed by the present method. For example, the article can be a light emitting diode, a laser diode, or a transistor.

In an aspect, a method for printing a semiconductor material includes depositing a molten metal comprising a Group 13 metal or silicon, preferably at least one of gallium, aluminum, or indium, onto a substrate in an enclosed chamber to form a trace having at least one of a maximum height of 15 micrometers (preferably a maximum height of 1 to 12 micrometers), or a maximum width of 25 micrometers to 10 millimeters (preferably a maximum width of 100 micrometers to 2 millimeters), or a thin film having a maximum height of 15 micrometers a maximum height of 1 to 12 micrometers; reacting the molten metal, preferably at a temperature greater than or equal to 600° C., with a gas phase nitrogen-or arsenic-containing species, preferably at least one of ammonia, hydrazine, diimide, or hydrazoic acid, in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material; and translating at least one of an injection orifice in the enclosed chamber or the substrate in an x-y plane during the depositing to form the trace of the molten metal on the substrate.

In this aspect, the enclosed chamber can further have an inert gas present, wherein a volume ratio of the inert gas to the gas phase species is 1.25 to 50. The gas phase species can be added to the enclosed chamber after the depositing. The molten metal can have a crystallization rate to form the semiconductor material of 0.035 to 3 micrometers per minute. Particularly advantageous results can be obtained in these aspects where the substrate is an atomically symmetric substrate, preferably a sapphire substrate.

Still further in these aspects, the semiconductor material can be a single crystal, and the molten metal can comprise a p-type dopant or an n-type dopant. Preferably, the p-type dopant or the n-type dopant can be present in the enclosed chamber as a gas phase that permeates the molten metal.

In a yet further feature of these aspects, the method can include depositing a second molten metal onto the semiconductor material and allowing the second molten metal to react with the gas phase species in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material having an increased height, preferably wherein the at least one of the molten metal or the second molten metal comprises a dopant.

The following examples are provided to illustrate the present disclosure. The examples are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit devices made in accordance with the disclosure to the materials, conditions, or process parameters set forth therein.

EXAMPLES Example 1: Determination of the Crystal Phase Growth Rate

Computational modelling was used to estimate growth velocities in a decreased melt volume to illustrate the change in the overall crystallization rate that arises from the decreased diffusion length of the gas phase species into the molten metal. Specifically, a one-dimensional diffusion model for NH₃ in molten Ga was used, presuming a concentration of NH₃ at the Ga surface at the solubility limit, c_(max), and total conversion to GaN at the solidification interface, so that the flux of N species consumed by GaN growth was equal to the diffusive flux. The growth rate was thus predicted to increase transiently as the Ga melt was consumed, and the resulting average growth rate, v, was

$\overset{¯}{v} = {{g\left( {1 + \frac{M_{N}}{M_{Ga}}} \right)}\frac{\rho_{Ga}}{\rho_{GaN}}\frac{Dc_{\max}}{L_{0}}}$

where M_(i) and ρ_(i) are the molar mass and density of the respective materials i, and D and c_(max) are the diffusivity and solubility of NH₃ in molten Ga. Although the model is one-dimensional, the factor g accounts for the geometry of the Ga melt based on the average distance that NH₃ diffuses before conversion. Representative values of g are 1, 1.6, and 2 for uniform thickness, half-cylinder, and half-sphere melt geometries, respectively.

A half-sphere melt geometry was used to estimate a droplet of gallium deposited onto a surface. At 1,000° C., the diffusivity was estimated as 1.3×10⁻⁴ centimeters squared per second (cm² s⁻¹) and the solubility was estimated as (1.0±0.8)×10⁻⁶ atomic percent, which imparts some uncertainty. The resulting velocities as a function of initial height of a half-spherical droplet are shown in FIG. 3 . Considering these growth velocity estimations, including the uncertainty in the solubility estimation as shown in FIG. 3 , a 10 micrometer printed gallium layer is expected to result in crystal growth rates of 0.035 to 0.30 micrometers per minute, values which are in the range of reported values for GaN films grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). Based on these results, initial experiments were performed to support these calculations and demonstrate improved crystallization rates at reduced melt volumes in order to show the viability of the liquid-gas reaction process for a 3D printed semiconductor system.

It is noted that these calculations can be performed by additional geometries, to show that reducing the critical dimensions lowers the diffusion length and thereby increases the crystal growth rate. Half-sphere geometries are only used for example.

Example 2: Formation of GaN Traces on a Substrate via Vapor-Phase Reaction

A set of experiments was performed to test the increased crystallization rate as compared to the rate proposed in the above model of Example 1. To isolate the effect of thickness from various printing parameters, gallium test patterns were deposited onto a c-plane sapphire substrate 4 using thermal evaporation in conjunction with a shadow mask to create a pattern of circles and bars with varying dimensions. Using the shadow mask, gallium patterns of various thicknesses were deposited in order to test the effect of thickness on crystallization time. After gallium deposition, the patterns were placed in an enclosed chamber 2 with a N₂/NH₃ gas mixture flowing over the sample as the enclosed chamber 2 was heated to a reaction temperature of 1,050° C. The samples were then held at temperature for various lengths of time to induce crystallization of GaN within the pattern. N₂:NH₃ ratios from 1.25 to 50 were used by varying the rate of NH₃ flow while holding the N₂ flow constant. A visible transition of opaque gallium metal to transparent GaN was observed at high temperatures and was used as a rough metric of timescale for initial crystallizations to ensure complete visual conversion before cooling the samples. Ex situ optical microscopy and x-ray diffraction (XRD) were performed to study the change in morphology and degree of crystallization. Results from samples with varying thicknesses of deposited gallium are shown in FIG. 4 , where the asterisk denotes an abraded sample.

It is noted that the 65 micrometer sample was submitted to a N₂:NH₃ ratio of 1.25 in order to increase the rate of crystallization in the final sample as much as possible and was held at temperature for 30 minutes, at which time the pattern visibly stopped transitioning from opaque to transparent. All other samples shown in FIG. 4 were held at temperature for only 5 minutes with N₂:NH₃ of 25 and observed a similar visible transition, despite the shorter time and lower NH₃ flow.

FIG. 4 shows that some GaN formation was observed in the 65 micrometer sample, but the gallium metal peaks remained prominent in the XRD spectrum shown in FIG. 4 despite the longer time at temperature. These results are in line with the modelling results in FIG. 3 , which suggested a crystallization time in excess of 2 hours would result in a full conversion at this thickness. As deposition thickness was decreased to 3.5 micrometers, the gallium peaks were significantly reduced, with only a slight peak visible at 39.6 degrees (°) despite the lower crystallization time and NH₃ flow. As thickness was decreased further, below 300 nanometers, no presence of GaN or significant gallium was observed in XRD, but a Ga₂O₃ peak remained. It is noted that the slight gallium peak at 39.6° remained in thinner samples, even at crystallization times up to 30 minutes. Without being bound by theory, it is believed that this peak arises from residual gallium trapped in between polycrystalline GaN grains, preventing NH₃ diffusion and halting full conversion of the structure.

FIG. 4 further shows the presence of an oxide peak at all thicknesses, where the GaN was observed to form a native oxide, based on the Ga₂O₃ peak. It is likely that an oxide formed on the evaporated gallium patterns due to the time the sample was exposed to air while it was transferred from the thermal evaporation chamber to the NH₃ annealing furnace. These results show the advantage of an aspect of the present method, where the depositing of the gallium and the crystallization can occur in the same enclosed chamber 2 reducing or eliminating the potential exposure to oxygen.

Example 3: Formation of GaN Traces on a Substrate via Gas-Phase Reactive Additive Manufacturing

Molten gallium was extruded through a motor-controlled quartz needle onto a heated substrate 4 in an oxygen-free environment as is illustrated in FIG. 1 . A mixture of N₂ and NH₃ was flowed into the enclosed chamber 2 after printing the molten gallium onto the substrate 4 in order to convert gallium to GaN at elevated temperatures. Similar to the studies on thermally evaporated gallium of Example 2, initial GaN conversions were performed while flowing NH₃ and N₂ during the heating process to saturate the printed gallium before conversion. The XYZ motor used to control the print head did not have Z resolution capabilities below 50 micrometers so the layer was suspected to be on the same order of magnitude thickness as the 65 micrometers sample of Example 2. It is also noted that the annealing systems were built to different specifications, which benefitted from different optimized crystallization conditions. Therefore, for the sake of brevity, specifics of gas flow rates and the optimization process are not reported on here and it is acknowledged that this is a best effort comparison based on relative process optimization.

The XRD spectra showing the degree of crystallinity at the 65 micrometers thermally evaporated gallium and the in situ printed gallium is shown in FIG. 5 , where the flow rate of the nitrogen was 50 standard cubic centimeters per minute (sccm) for the samples 3-1 and 3-2, where the top trace, 3-2, was heated in an inert N₂ ambient prior to introduction of the reacting NH₃ gas into the enclosed chamber 2. A mixture of inert N₂ and reacting NH₃ gas was submitted to the sample indicated by the middle trace, 3-1, prior to and during heating. It is noted that the gallium line printed directly into a controlled ambient was only held at the crystallization temperature of 1,000° C. for 5 minutes as compared to the 30 minutes for the thermally evaporated GaN of Example 2, despite the similar projected thicknesses. Surprisingly, despite the shorter crystallization time, a significant improvement in the crystallinity was observed in the printed GaN as compared to that of Example 2, the trace of which is shown in FIG. 5 for ease of comparison. Moreover, FIG. 5 shows that no remaining gallium or Ga₂O₃ peaks were observed in the spectra of the crystallized GaN material of Example 3, indicating that the controlled N₂ ambient was capable of preventing oxidation, resulting in faster, more complete crystal conversion. Additionally, Example 3 resulted in a single-crystal nature in XRD post-conversion with a strong GaN(0002) peak and only a very slight peak observable above the noise at the peak position for (10-11) GaN. This single-crystal nature is shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 . FIG. 8 shows a 2 theta-omega scan showing a single GaN peak in high resolution XRD and FIG. 9 shows a phi scan displaying 6 evenly spaced primary peaks indicating that there is a single rotational alignment to provide evidence that single crystal material was obtained.

Without intending to be bound by theory, the faster crystallization of printed gallium may have been partially due to the removal of the oxide layer that acted as an NH₃ diffusion barrier in Example 2. All crystallizations reported up to this point were performed with heating occurring in a N_(2/)NH₃ ambient in order to saturate the gallium droplet and increase the crystallization rate.

Based on the faster observed crystallization rate of printed gallium, an additional test, 3-1, was performed with heating in a N₂ ambient to try to prevent crystallization below 1,000° C. to thereby improve the crystal quality of the converted GaN. No significant change in conversion rate was observed when heating in a pure N₂ ambient (total time at temperature was still 5 minutes), but the crystal orientation was improved slightly as shown by the decrease in the slight decrease in the GaN(10-11) XRD peak as shown the inset of FIG. 5 .

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional SEM that was taken of the printed trace from the sample that was heated in a pure N₂ ambient to 1,000° C. before NH₃ was flowed into the enclosed chamber 2 to induce crystallization. FIG. 6 shows the formation of a 5 to 10 micrometer thick, coalesced GaN film with some roughness growing epitaxially from the sapphire substrate 4. Finally, taking the thickness of the coalesced region and the crystallization time of 5 minutes into account, an estimated growth rate of 1 to 2 micrometers per minute was obtained. This growth rate is comparable to that achievable by MOCVD or hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), indicating the viability of the GRAM process to create complex structures without sacrificing growth rate over commercially used methods. This growth rate is, however, significantly faster than the highest rate predicted by earlier models, indicating that there may be other factors affecting the growth rate in printed gallium structures. These results demonstrate the potential of the GRAM process for localized printing of single-crystal semiconductor GaN.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional SEM that was taken from an area surrounding the printed trace. FIG. 7 shows that in some regions proximal to the printed trace, rough, uncoalesced, and seemingly polycrystalline GaN islands are formed. Based on the presence of GaN outside the printed line, it is believed that there is some migration of gallium during the crystallization process.

Set forth below are non-limiting aspects of the present disclosure.

Aspect 1: A method for printing a semiconductor material, comprising: depositing a molten metal onto a substrate in an enclosed chamber to form a trace having at least one of a maximum height of 15 micrometers or a maximum width of 25 micrometers to 10 millimeters or a thin film having a maximum height of 15 micrometers; and reacting the molten metal with a gas phase species in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material.

Aspect 2: The method of aspect 1, further comprising translating at least one of an injection orifice in the enclosed chamber or the substrate in an x-y plane during the depositing to form the trace of the molten metal on the substrate.

Aspect 3: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the molten metal comprises at least one of a molten, Group 13 metal or silicon, and wherein the molten, Group 13 metal comprises at least one of gallium, aluminum, or indium.

Aspect 4: The method of any one of the preceding aspects 1, wherein the gas phase species comprises at least one of a gas phase nitrogen species or a gas phase arsenic species, and wherein the gas phase species further comprises at least one of ammonia (NH₃), hydrazine (N₂H₄), diimide (N₂H₂), or hydrazoic acid (HN₃).

Aspect 5: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the enclosed chamber further comprises an inert gas, and wherein a volume ratio of the inert gas to the gas phase species is 1.25 to 50.

Aspect 6: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, further comprising adding the gas phase species to the enclosed chamber after the depositing.

Aspect 7: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein a temperature of the molten metal during the depositing is greater than or equal to 30° C.

Aspect 8: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein a temperature during the reacting is greater than or equal to 600° C.

Aspect 9: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the semiconductor material is a single crystal.

Aspect 10: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the molten metal comprises a p-type dopant.

Aspect 11: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the molten metal comprises an n-type dopant.

Aspect 12: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the enclosed chamber further comprises a gas phase, p-type dopant, and wherein the gas phase, p-type dopant permeates the molten metal.

Aspect 13: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the enclosed chamber further comprises a gas phase, n-type dopant, and wherein the gas phase, n-type dopant permeates the molten metal.

Aspect 14: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, further comprising depositing a second molten metal onto the semiconductor material and allowing the second molten metal to react with the gas phase species in the enclosed chamber to form the semiconductor material having an increased height.

Aspect 15: The method of Aspect 14, wherein at least one of the molten metal or the second molten metal comprises a dopant.

Aspect 16: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein a crystallization rate of the molten metal to form the semiconductor material is 0.035 to 3 micrometers per minute.

Aspect 17: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the substrate is an atomically symmetric substrate.

Aspect 18: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the substrate is a sapphire substrate.

Aspect 19: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the trace or the thin film has a maximum height of 1 to 12 micrometers.

Aspect 20: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the trace has a maximum width of 100 micrometers to 2 millimeters.

Aspect 21: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein depositing the molten metal comprises depositing a metal composition comprising the molten metal and an etchant or wherein the method further comprises depositing the etchant separate from the molten metal in the enclosed chamber.

Aspect 22: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein depositing comprises depositing the metal composition.

Aspect 23: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the etchant is in an aqueous form and comprises 1 to 10 wt % of the etchant based on the total weight of the etchant and water.

Aspect 24: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the etchant comprises NH₄OH or an aqueous NH₄OH solution.

Aspect 25: The method of any one of the preceding aspects, wherein the method comprises depositing the etchant separate from the molten metal via a secondary injection orifice.

Aspect 26: An apparatus that can optionally be used to carry out any one of the preceding aspects comprising: an enclosed chamber; an injection orifice that traverses a top flange of the enclosed chamber through a gastight seal, wherein the injection orifice is in fluid communication with a molten metal source; a moveable seal that connects the sidewalls of the enclosed chamber to the top flange and allows relative movement therebetween; a heated stage capable of heating a substrate to a temperature of at least 900° C.; at least one of a translation control unit capable of translating the injection orifice or a motor control unit capable of translating the heated stage; a containment chamber, wherein the enclosed chamber and the at least one of the translation control unit or the motor control unit if present are located in the containment chamber; a gas stream inlet; and a gas stream outlet.

Aspect 27: The apparatus of aspect 26, wherein the moveable seal is a bellow seal.

Aspect 28: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 27, The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the moveable seal is a ferrofluidic seal.

Aspect 29: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 28, wherein the gas stream inlet includes an inert gas stream inlet and a gas phase nitrogen species inlet; wherein at least one of a purge gas stream that is in fluid communication with the gas stream outlet includes an outlet valve, an inert gas stream that is in fluid communication with the inert stream inlet includes an inert gas valve, or a gas phase nitrogen species stream that is in fluid communication with the gas phase nitrogen species inlet includes a nitrogen gas valve.

Aspect 30: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 29, wherein the enclosed chamber is a cooling chamber capable of cooling one or more walls of the cooling chamber.

Aspect 31: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 30, further comprising a heating device located in the enclosed chamber.

Aspect 32: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 31, wherein the gas stream inlet includes a showerhead or a gas spreader.

Aspect 33: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 32, wherein the gas stream inlet is located within 5 cm of an outlet of the injection orifice.

Aspect 34: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 33, comprising two or more of the injection orifices.

Aspect 35: The apparatus of any one of aspects 26 to 34, further comprising a controller capable of monitoring and controlling one or more of a pressure in the enclosed chamber, a temperature in the enclosed chamber, a gas flow rate, a discharge rate of the molten metal, a temperature of the molten metal, a temperature of the stage, and a relative movement of the injection orifice and the substrate.

The compositions, methods, and articles can alternatively comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of, any appropriate materials, steps, or components herein disclosed. The compositions, methods, and articles can additionally, or alternatively, be formulated so as to be devoid, or substantially free, of any materials (or species), steps, or components, that are otherwise not necessary to the achievement of the function or objectives of the compositions, methods, and articles.

The terms “a” and “an” do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item. The term “or” means “and/or” unless clearly indicated otherwise by context. Reference throughout the specification to “an aspect”, “an embodiment”, “another embodiment”, “some embodiments”, and so forth, means that a particular element (e.g., feature, structure, step, or characteristic) described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment described herein, and may or may not be present in other embodiments. In addition, it is to be understood that the described elements may be combined in any suitable manner in the various embodiments.

When an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements can also be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being “directly on” another element, there are no intervening elements present.

The endpoints of all ranges directed to the same component or property are inclusive of the endpoints, are independently combinable, and include all intermediate points and ranges. For example, ranges of “up to 25° C., or 5 to 20° C.” is inclusive of the endpoints and all intermediate values of the ranges of “5 to 25° C,” such as 10 to 23° C., etc.

The term “at least one of” means that the list is inclusive of each element individually, as well as combinations of two or more elements of the list, and combinations of at least one element of the list with like elements not named. Also, the term “combination” is inclusive of blends, mixtures, alloys, reaction products, and the like.

Unless defined otherwise, technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in the art to which this disclosure belongs.

All cited patents, patent applications, and other references are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. However, if a term in the present application contradicts or conflicts with a term in the incorporated reference, the term from the present application takes precedence over the conflicting term from the incorporated reference.

While particular embodiments have been described, alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements, and substantial equivalents that are or may be presently unforeseen may arise to applicants or others skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims as filed and as they may be amended are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications variations, improvements, and substantial equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: an enclosed chamber; an injection orifice that traverses a top flange of the enclosed chamber through a gastight seal, wherein the injection orifice is in fluid communication with a molten metal source; a moveable seal that connects sidewalls of the enclosed chamber to the top flange and allows relative movement therebetween; a heated stage capable of heating a substrate to a temperature of at least 900° C.; at least one of a translation control unit capable of translating the injection orifice or a motor control unit capable of translating the heated stage; a containment chamber, wherein the enclosed chamber and the at least one of the translation control unit or the motor control unit if present are located in the containment chamber; a gas stream inlet; and a gas stream outlet.
 2. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moveable seal is a bellow seal.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the moveable seal is a ferrofluidic seal.
 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas stream inlet includes an inert gas stream inlet and a gas phase nitrogen species inlet, and wherein at least one of a purge gas stream that is in fluid communication with the gas stream outlet includes an outlet valve, an inert gas stream that is in fluid communication with the inert gas stream inlet includes an inert gas valve, or a gas phase nitrogen species stream that is in fluid communication with the gas phase nitrogen species inlet includes a nitrogen gas valve.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the enclosed chamber is a cooling chamber capable of cooling one or more walls of the cooling chamber.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a heating device located in the enclosed chamber.
 7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas stream inlet includes a showerhead or a gas spreader.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the gas stream inlet is located within 5 cm of an outlet of the injection orifice.
 9. The apparatus of claim 2, comprising two or more of the injection orifices.
 10. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a controller capable of monitoring and controlling one or more of a pressure in the enclosed chamber, a temperature in the enclosed chamber, a gas flow rate, a discharge rate of the molten metal, a temperature of the molten metal, a temperature of the stage, and a relative movement of the injection orifice and the substrate. 